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• User reviews

The Big Bus

A nuclear powered bus driving cross-country, from New York City to Colorado, is destined for disaster due to the machinations of a mysterious group allied with the oil lobby. A nuclear powered bus driving cross-country, from New York City to Colorado, is destined for disaster due to the machinations of a mysterious group allied with the oil lobby. A nuclear powered bus driving cross-country, from New York City to Colorado, is destined for disaster due to the machinations of a mysterious group allied with the oil lobby.

• James Frawley
• Fred Freeman
• Lawrence J. Cohen
• Joseph Bologna
• Stockard Channing
• 61 User reviews
• 66 Critic reviews
• 1 win & 2 nominations

• Dan Torrance

• Kitty Baxter

• Father Kudos

• Shorty Scotty

• (as Jose Ferrer)

• Professor Baxter

• Parking Lot Doctor

• Sybil Crane

• Claude Crane

• Camille Levy

• Mary Jane Beth Sue
• (as Mary Wilcox)

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The set-up cost to build "The Big Bus" vehicle was around $250,000. This comes out to around one million dollars in 2022 adjusted for inflation.
• Goofs When the bus is being pulled out of the garage, the top of the front section just fits under the top of the door opening, but the back section of the bus includes an observation dome that is taller then the front of the bus. It could've never been pulled out of the garage.

Dan : You eat one lousy foot and they call you a cannibal. What a world!

• Crazy credits Paramount Pictures thanks Trailways for their help and technical assistance in making this impossible picture possible.
• Connections Referenced in Married... with Children: Desperately Seeking Miss October (1989)
• Soundtracks Tommy Joyce (1976) Special material composed by Murphy Dunne Performed by Murphy Dunne (uncredited)

User reviews 61

• Aug 7, 2002
• How long is The Big Bus? Powered by Alexa
• October 22, 1976 (West Germany)
• United States
• Die haarsträubende Reise in einem verrückten Bus
• Los Angeles, California, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 28 minutes

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The Big Bus

• View history

The Big Bus received mixed reviews at the time of its 1976 release, although the New York Times gave the film a favorable review. [3] The film performed poorly at the box office but has since been recognized as a cult classic of its genre. [4]

Director Frawley won the audience award at the 1977 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival .

• 3.1 Casting
• 3.2 The Cyclops
• 4 Soundtrack score
• 5 Reception
• 6 Television broadcast
• 7 Home media
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Coyote Bus Lines' scientists and designers work feverishly to complete Cyclops , a state-of-the-art articulated jumbo bus, enabling man to achieve a new milestone in bus history, namely non-stop service between New York City and Denver . Almost immediately after the bus engine is equipped with nuclear fuel, a bomb goes off, critically injuring Professor Baxter, the scientist in charge of the project. Cyclops itself is undamaged, but Coyote Bus Lines has lost both its driver and co-driver.

Kitty Baxter, the professor's daughter and the Cyclops designer, is forced to turn to old flame Dan Torrance. Once a promising driver, Torrance was disgraced after he crashed his bus atop Mount Diablo, and was accused of saving his own life by eating all of his passengers . (Torrance blames his co-driver for cannibalism , insisting that he himself survived by eating the seats and the luggage, and only ate part of a passenger's foot by accident when it was included in a stew). Narrowly surviving an assault by vindictive fellow drivers with the help of "Shoulders" O'Brien, Torrance is recruited to drive Cyclops .

Meanwhile, a sinister tycoon known as "Ironman", encased in a huge iron lung , plots to destroy the bus with some oil sheikhs . Ironman directs his brother Alex to sabotage Cyclops using time bombs. Alex would prefer to use a man-made earthquake, but Ironman insists that the bus be destroyed and discredited. Before its maiden voyage, Alex sneaks aboard and hides a bomb within the bus.

Amidst public fanfare, the bus finally leaves New York, bound for Denver. Among the passengers are the Cranes, a neurotic married couple waiting for their divorce to finalize; Father Kudos, a priest who has lost his way; Dr. Kurtz, a disgraced veterinarian ; Emery Bush, a man with only a few months to live; and Camille Levy, whose father died in the aforementioned Mount Diablo bus crash.

At first, Cyclops' journey is a success, and Torrance triumphantly breaks the 90 mph "wind barrier" (referenced as "breaking wind"). Soon, however, disaster strikes. Investigating a mechanical problem, Dan discovers the bomb and disarms it just seconds before an explosion rips through another part of the bus. Now unable to stop, Cyclops speeds across America. Dan is determined to achieve Cyclops's historic goal of non-stop service to Denver, but he also needs to surpass a treacherously curvy road where his father died. Dan almost succeeds, but not before a truck smashes into the upper deck windshield, and the bus runs partially off the road, ending up teetering over a cliff. To save the bus, Dan and Shoulders shift all the weight to the back by jettisoning all of the passenger luggage and then pumping the vehicle's entire carbonated beverage supply into the galley at the opposite end.

Knowing he has only one more chance to destroy Cyclops , Alex finally persuades Ironman to use the earthquake. Unfortunately for Ironman, Alex somehow set the co-ordinates for Ironman's house instead.

Back on the road, Cyclops once again heads to its destination, but just 25 miles outside of Denver, the front and rear halves of the bus split from each other.

• Joseph Bologna as Capt. Dan Torrance
• Stockard Channing as Kitty Baxter
• John Beck as "Shoulders" O'Brien
• René Auberjonois as Father Joseph Kudos
• Ned Beatty as Shorty Scotty
• Bob Dishy as Dr. Kurtz
• José Ferrer as Ironman
• Ruth Gordon as the Old Lady
• Harold Gould as Professor Irwin Baxter
• Larry Hagman as Parking Lot Doctor
• Sally Kellerman as Sybil Crane
• Richard Mulligan as Claude Crane
• Lynn Redgrave as Camille Levy
• Richard B. Shull as Emery Bush
• Stuart Margolin as Alex the Hot Dog Seller
• Howard Hesseman as Jack
• Mary Wilcox as Mary Jane Beth Sue
• Walter Brooke as Mr. Ames
• Vic Tayback as Goldie
• Murphy Dunne as Tommy Joyce
• Vito Scotti as Barber

Production notes [ ]

Casting [ ].

On the director's commentary of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers , John Landis reveals that he cast Murphy Dunne as the leader of "Murph and the Magic Tones" because he had seen him as a cheesy lounge singer in an earlier film. Although Landis doesn't mention The Big Bus by name, the film was Dunne's only previous performance as a lounge singer. [ Citation needed ]

The Cyclops [ ]

The central set piece of the film is the bus itself—credited for the design is the film's art director Joel Schiller. The bus is a nuclear powered, double-decker, articulated bus with 32 wheels. It is named Cyclops due to the single large headlight prominent at the front. The front also features large wraparound windows on both upper and lower decks—with the lower deck containing the cockpit and the upper, front portion containing the lounge/bar. Cyclops requires the operation of a driver and co-driver. In the film, Cyclops has a passenger capacity of 110 and is equipped with a bowling alley, Asian-style cocktail lounge with a piano bar, swimming pool, captain's dining room, private marble-and-gold bathroom with sunken tub, and chef's kitchen. Exterior features shown are an automatic washing mechanism for the Cyclops exterior; an automatic en route tire-changing system; and a display of "Flags of all Nations," which emerges from the vehicle's roof. Cyclops can be compared to the German Neoplan Jumbocruiser , an actual double decker articulated super bus with a capacity of 170, originally built in 1975.

According to articles in 1976 issues of both Motor Trend magazine and the now defunct Bus World magazine, the real bus used in the film was a large road-worthy vehicle created by production designer Joel Schiller. Though the most visible front portions of the bus (bar and cockpit) appeared to be functional, the remainder of the body of the vehicle was mostly empty—containing only the engine, suspension and essential mechanisms used for exterior trick shots. Few behind-the-scenes and construction photos or plans have surfaced, but according to Joel Schiller's website, the actual bus built for the film was part of the Los Angeles Bicentennial Parade of 1976 .

Further, the Bus World article stated that the vehicle made a trip from Los Angeles to San Diego, California , as a film promotion in 1976. [5] [6] [7] [8] The Bus World article also contained extensive photos and details about the building of the bus. The article states that the rear half of the bus was a separate vehicle with a driver. The two halves of the bus would arrive separately at the filming location where they were joined together for shooting. The rear driver was unable to see and had to be directed by radio. In the scene in which the bus departs the terminal on its voyage, the front wheels on the rear portion of the bus are seen turning independently as the bus makes a very tight turn out of the terminal. According to car enthusiast web site Jalopnik.com , the bus was scrapped after filming. [9]

In the closing credits, Trailways Bus Lines is thanked for their help in creating the bus used in the film. It is not stated what role Trailways took in creating Cyclops , although the footage of passengers boarding the bus in New York used Trailways Los Angeles bus station. The fictional bus line in the film that operates Cyclops is Coyote Bus Lines, a parody of Greyhound Lines .

Soundtrack score [ ]

The score to the film was created by veteran film composer David Shire . Shire is also credited with composing scores for such films as The Hindenburg , The Conversation , and Short Circuit . Shire's score for The Big Bus was in line with the disaster parody theme of the film that also incorporated elements of disco. In the '90s, Film Score Monthly magazine ran a poll asking which film score its readers would most like to see released. The Big Bus was among the top 20 scores. In 2000, a bootleg CD of the film's soundtrack surfaced as a prized collectable. [ Citation needed ]

In January 2011, a limited edition official release of the score was produced by Film Score Monthly (Catalog No. FSM1401). The compact disc was limited to 2000 copies and contained the film's complete score, including alternate takes and excerpts of classical pieces used in various scenes. The CD also contained comedy music and vocals bits by Murphy Dunne , who portrayed Tommy Joyce, the piano player in the bus' Oriental Lounge. The soundtrack release was sourced from the master tapes. As a result, sound quality was excellent and in stereo.

Reception [ ]

The Big Bus received mixed reviews critically. The film holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews. [10]

Television broadcast [ ]

The Big Bus had its television premiere on CBS in March 1978, edited to remove some adult content and language to meet broadcast content standards of the time. Repeated in May 1980, the film has rarely been broadcast over the past 40 years on various channels, though it had been seen uncut as recently as 2009 on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Showtime .

As of 2009, Warner Bros. Television holds the USA TV broadcast rights while Paramount Pictures retains all other rights. Only the Warner Bros. logo appears on Showtime's airings and the original Paramount logo is preserved on TCM's print and the DVD issue.

Home media [ ]

The film was released on VHS and Betamax in the early 1980s.

In 2002, Paramount Home Video released the film on DVD in a dual-format edition containing the film in the full-screen or theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratios , (though there is some slight windowboxing with the widescreen version selected); Dolby 5.1 English Surround Sound stereo/mono mix, or Dolby 2.0 mono in English, French, and Spanish. No other extras are included, and the DVD is out of print.

The film was also released on DVD in the United States on September 24, 2013, as a Warner Archive Collection DVD-R.

The film has also been released on Region 4 DVD. [ Citation needed ]

References [ ]

• ↑ " Big Bus ". www.rottentomatoes.com . Retrieved on 1 September 2019.
• ↑ " The Big Bus (1976) ". www.allmovie.com . Retrieved on 1 September 2019.
• ↑ Eder, Richard. " 'Big Bus' Is Inexhaustible Film Comedy ", New York Times , June 24, 1976. Retrieved on August 4, 2016.  
• ↑ " My guilty pleasure: The Big Bus | Film | The Guardian ". theguardian.com (25 April 2014). Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " Image: page_1.jpg, (736 × 728 px) ". starcarcentral.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " Image: page_2.jpg, (557 × 1063 px) ". starcarcentral.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " Image: page_3.jpg, (694 × 996 px) ". starcarcentral.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " Image: page_4.jpg, (702 × 965 px) ". starcarcentral.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " The "Big Bus" Was Scrapped, But You Can Read All About It ". jalopnik.com. Retrieved on 2015-09-03.
• ↑ " The Big Bus ". Rotten Tomatoes .

External links [ ]

• The Big Bus at the Movie Review Query Engine
• Building the Big Bus from Bus World
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bus
• 1 Dora the Explorer (2024 reboot)
• 2 Derek Morgan
• 3 Paranormal Activity: The Other Side

• Unidentified

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Last completed movie pages, 1975 neoplan n 138 jumbocruiser, 1975 neoplan n 138 jumbocruiser in iaa 1975 , documentary, 1975.

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Category: Buses and minibuses

The Neoplan Jumbocruiser was an articulateddouble-deckmulti-axle city coach built by Neoplan Bus GmbH between 1975 and 1992. At 18 metres (59 ft) in length, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide and 4 m (13 ft) in height, it is in the Guinness World Records as the world's largest bus with a capacity for 170 passengers.

yacht mast design

Category : Neoplan Jumbocruiser

• No. 1 - Globus Travel of Cologne, Germany
• No. 2 - TRD Travel of Dortmund, Germany
• No. 3 - Hallo Travel of Essen, Germany
• No. 4 - Mundstock Travel of Peine, Germany, now Treberhilfe, Dresden
• No. 5 - TRD Travel (2nd)
• No. 6 - Car-O-Tel (the sleeper bus)
• No. 7 - Hallo Travel (2nd), deconstructed
• No. 8 - Sola Ruten of Norway
• No. 9 - Chuo Kanko of Osaka, Japan
• No. 10 - TRD Travel (3rd)
• No. 11 - Best Tours of Brussels, Belgium

The market for the Jumbocruiser evaporated after some countries changed their regulations on articulated coaches, and also after the legal maximum for rigid vehicles was increased to 15m in Germany in 1993, to allow use of rigid high capacity vehicles like the 4-axle double-deck Megaliner N128/4, which employed steering on all four axles to keep the turning circle within the regulations.

No.1 has since been converted into the 'world's largest motor home', named 'Der Bus' (German:The Bus). Painted white with blue Der Bus fleetnames, it features a storage area and small vehicle/bike garage with loading ramp (downstairs rear portion), a lounge/bar area and an 8 seat passenger cabin (downstairs front), bathroom & 2 guest bunks (upstairs rear) and kitchen, living room and 2 berth main bedroom (upstairs front).

Subcategories

This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

• Neoplan Jumbocruiser (1975 to 1986) ‎ (4 C, 3 F)
• Neoplan Jumbocruiser (1992) ‎ (2 F)

Media in category "Neoplan Jumbocruiser"

This category contains only the following file.

• Neoplan articulated buses
• Neoplan double-decker buses
• Quad-axle buses
• Neoplan coaches
• Uses of Wikidata Infobox

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Inside world’s biggest & most luxurious bus named ‘Jumbocruiser’ – it comes with a custom bar & marble tables

• Michael Golson
• Published : 5:17 ET, Nov 2 2023
• Updated : 13:54 ET, Nov 2 2023

THE WORLD'S biggest and most luxurious bus is truly one of a kind... and holds two Guinness world records.

This 'Jumbocruiser', named DerBus, was built by German motors giant Neoplan GmbH in 1975 and became the world's largest bus with a staggering 170-passenger capacity.

DerBus, which means ‘The Bus’ in German, is one of only 11 such buses ever built with this one believed to be the sole survivor.

And after decades as a rather large bus, it was given a whole new identity in 1997 with the ultimate make-over - transforming it into the world's largest and most luxurious motorhome.

From the outside, DerBus is in impeccable condition and still resembles the same bus that was first driven off the production line in the 1970s... but inside it's a motorhome like none other. 

With seating for 35 people and the space to host parties for hundreds of guests, it's now used extensively for appearances at trade events, shows and tours.

Indeed, in recent years, it's appeared at the Ferrari Challenge, the Lamborghini Grand Prix at Silverstone, the GP Masters and the Truck Grand Prix.

What makes DerBus so special and much-loved is it's incredible interior that offers the very best in luxury.

The entire ground floor of this huge double-decker has space for several conference rooms as well as larger, ten-person meeting room.

But it comes too with a sizable custom bar that can be used as a VIP lounge that's furnished in genuine leather and marble, with touches of chrome and hardwood.

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The ground floor even has a garage that’s accessible via a ramp and big enough to fit a small car.

Moving upstairs, the second floor resembles a luxury apartment, with a main bedroom at the front next to a kitchen and sizable living room, and a second bedroom at the rear.

There's also a bathroom complete with a shower, toilet and sink.

The bus also includes a range of special features including a rooftop deck with railings that works as a sort of terrace, as well as a full security system with several cameras.

From the world's largest and most luxurious bus to the world’s most expensive caravan dubbed ‘luxury yacht-on-wheels’, this dream on wheels is recognised all over the world as the most outstanding motorhome money can buy.

Meanwhile, Toyota have announced that the iconic Prius is making a comeback to UK showrooms - 12 months after the car giant claimed it wouldn’t be available to buy.

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Most Extreme Buses in the World

by ArrowStageLines | Feb 2, 2022 | Attractions , Blog , History | 0 comments

To many people, one bus looks pretty much like another. Apart from the numbers and perhaps the colors of the buses based on the destination, many people wouldn’t know one bus from another. However, there can be significant differences between buses, including their size and extravagance.

If you’re looking for a unique bus riding experience, join us on a tour of the world’s biggest, smallest and most luxurious buses.

Biggest and Smallest Busses

Whether large or small, check out these motorcoaches that take their size to the extreme from largest to smallest.

Neoplan Jumbocruiser

The tour starts in Germany with  Neoplan Bus GmbH . Though no longer in production, the Neoplan Jumbocruiser still holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest bus in the world. This double-decker coach was 59 feet long, 13 feet high and just over eight feet wide, and could hold up to 170 passengers.

Auto Tram Extra Grand

While you’re in Germany, stick around for a ride on the world’s longest bus, the mammoth  AutoTram Extra Grand . At over 100 feet long, this is the longest bus currently in service on the planet, with the capacity to transport 256 passengers. 

This vehicle runs largely on electric power and offers the convenience of a bus with the capacity of a train. Its design consists of three sections, giving it a very distinctive appearance. Initial trials of this giant bus took place in Dresden, and Shanghai and Beijing also placed orders. 

Heading to Los Angeles, your next stop is at BYD Auto Co., Ltd. for a ride on the BYD C10MS. 

At  a height of 13.4 feet , the C10MS holds the title for the tallest bus in the world. This fully electric, zero-emissions bus can seat up to 51 passengers and travel as far as 230 miles on a single charge.

If you want to try the world’s smallest bus, head to Italy and board the Tecnobus, part of the urban public transport system. Compared to a regular bus, the Tecnobus looks like a miniature. Compared to the massive AutoTram Extra Grand, it almost looks like a toy.

Most Luxurious Buses

It may seem odd to use the words’ luxury’ and ‘bus’ in the same sentence — in most people’s minds, buses are merely a means of mass transportation. However, buses have come a long way in recent years. As with other types of vehicles, you can now find some fabulous luxury buses around the world.

If you are looking to spot buses with a difference, here are a few that could well be amongst the most luxurious in the world. 

The Vantaré Platinum Plus

Featherlite Coaches in Suffolk, Virginia,  produced the Vantaré in 2006 . This $2.5 million bus is the epitome of luxury and will change your whole perspective on buses.

Stunning and spacious, this bus has Italian leather, state-of-the-art technology, and beautiful decor to make it stand out from the crowd. You will find everything from king-size beds and plasma TVs to liquor cabinets and designer glassware on this bus, making it more like a luxury apartment on wheels. 

Prince Sultan Bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia

Designed for the prince it was named after, this single-decker bus offers pure, unadulterated beauty and luxury that really is fit for royalty.

The bus comes with a stunning spacious lounge area with gorgeous furnishings, a royal suite for relaxation and kicking back, an incredible bedroom with luxury bed and seating, additional bedrooms and a fabulous bathroom.

Volkner Mobile Performance Bus

Head back to Germany for your final luxury ride, the  Volkner Mobil Performance Bus .

This truly amazing bus has it all, with everything from a modern luxury kitchen on board to a built-in garage underneath for your sports car. You can relax in comfort in the stunning living and sleeping areas, enjoy entertainment on your plasma TV and enjoy complete and utter comfort even while driving. 

Take Your Next Trip With Arrow Stage Lines

If you would like to bring your group on a great motorcoach journey, Arrow Stage Lines will take you there and back in comfort and safety.  Get a quote here  to book a motorcoach today.

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A Couple Converted This Massive Double Decker Neoplan Skyliner Bus Into An Incredible RV

• By Mercedes Streeter
• November 16, 2022
• 16 Comments

For more than two years, I’ve been diving deep into the world of RVs. One of the more fascinating things is seeing what people can come up with in custom builds. Annoyed that you can’t get a rooftop firepit in an RV from Indiana? Someone’s solved that. Sad that GMC no longer makes the innovative Motorhome? Someone had one modernized . Heck, someone even had a Smart turned into a micro camper. Here’s another awesome idea, and it takes a weird double decker bus and turns it into what looks like a rather cozy home on wheels. Check out this 1992 Neoplan N122/3 Skyliner turned motorhome!

This morning, fellow big wheel lover Adrian Clarke sent me a link to a cool bus. The thumbnail had me hooked from the start. The bus in the top image is from Neoplan, a German manufacturer of distinctive buses. I could probably identify a Neoplan design from a quarter mile away. And at least for a short time, even Americans got to enjoy the weird things. But the Neoplan that Adrian sent was more than just a cool bus, as it was converted into a home, too. After watching videos about the build and visiting its website , I’m blown away. This thing has more thought put into it than a game of Jeopardy!

As Neoplan’s engine supplier, MAN, notes , Neoplan was launched in Stuttgart in 1935 by Gottlob Auwärter. His small shop produced bodywork for bus and truck chassis. After World War II, the company began building bodies with an all-steel construction. Then in 1953, Neoplan moved away from building bodies for existing chassis to building its own buses. These new buses had partial monocoque designs featuring tubular steel skeletons.

MAN says that Neoplan means “New Passenger Transport Vehicle or the New Plan.”

Neoplan’s engine supplier continues , pointing out innovations from Neoplan. In 1957, Neoplan was reportedly the first bus manufacturer to announce that its buses would have air suspension and independent front wheel suspension as standard. MAN goes on to note other innovations like a predecessor to today’s low-floor city bus, rear engine buses, and even the first bus to have passenger-adjusted air nozzles, not unlike what you’d find in planes and buses today.

In 1967, Neoplan introduced the ancestor to the bus we’re looking at today. Neoplan claims that the NH 22 Skyliner was the first long-distance double decker coach. While the concept of the double decker bus dates back over a century, [ Editor’s Note: I’d argue even earlier! – JT] Neoplan claims that building a double decker for the long haul took until 1967. As far as I could tell, this appears to be true.

And Neoplan didn’t stop there, and in 1975 it introduced the Jumbocruiser, a double decker articulated coach capable of carrying 170 people. For a while it held the record of the largest bus in the world.

The Jumbocruiser didn’t stick around for very long, but the Skyliner did, becoming a success story for Neoplan. Skyliners were sold in America and assembled with American engines and transmissions. A 29-foot Skyliner in Japan became the shortest double decker bus in the world while a massive 47.5-foot quad axle single unit used by the NASA Kennedy Space Center became the longest. And while this bus and Neoplan itself are no longer in America, the Skyliner has been so successful that they’re still on sale today as the flagship of the Neoplan line.

This 1992 N122/3 Skyliner was originally a coach built to carry 90 people. It’s 39-feet-long and housed in the rear is a 255 HP Mercedes-Benz V6. The builders don’t say what the engine is, but visually, it appears to be an 11.3-liter OM441 diesel, which was an option for the Neoplan Skyliner.

This engine was apparently rebuilt in 2015, and delivers power to the rear wheels via a semi-automatic transmission. YouTube channel Alternative House checked out the rig where the builders, Byrke and Ron gave the channel a tour.

Things start off in a mechanical room near the engine. Here, Ron goes through the camping gear that he added to the bus. It has a 158-gallon fresh tank, a 52-gallon gray tank, and a 79-gallon black tank. To put these numbers into perspective, Ron says that you can flush a toilet about 100 times before the black tank will be filled up. That gives this bus better longevity than most campers out on the market today.

And Ron didn’t stop there, as he added a city water connection for when the bus is parked at a campground.

Also in the back in that mechanical room is a 26-gallon LPG cell with an external filler. This powers heating as well as the four-burner stove. That’s joined by a 2.2 KW generator contained in a wooden box and a 3000W inverter. Ron wired up extra electrical systems in the bus. There’s the original 24V system from the bus, which has two 220Ah batteries. The house portion of the bus gets a 24V system consisting of four 220Ah batteries. The inverter gives out 230V and there’s another 230V circuit when connected to shore power.

The whole rear end is pretty clever, and I love how Ron replicated a typical RV as much as possible. Dumping the black tank works from a valve, just like a regular RV.

Moving inside, Byrke explains that 10 of the original 90 seats were retained. As the couple’s blog explains , when this bus was built in 1992, it was optioned out to have a larger interior. Usually these buses sacrifice some interior room so that there can be a sizable luggage space. The bus bounced around a bunch of different bus operators in Europe until 2011, when the final operator, Van Gerwen, upgraded to Van Hool buses and put this one up for sale. Ron and Byrke picked it up and began the conversion from coach bus to tiny home. It took the couple five years to do it, and its first trip as an RV happened in 2016. When the couple picked the bus up, it had 497,000 miles on it. They did a great job, because you can’t even tell it’s 30 years old with a half million miles on it.

On the lower level, Byrke shows off the seating arrangements, which consists of a dinette with bus seats, a couch that can be used as a bed, and two seats next to the driver seat. Behind them is a full kitchen with a pantry. The shore power circuit is said to power the air conditioners, microwave, dishwasher, and central vacuum cleaner system.

Byrke shows off two staircases that lead up to the upstairs bedrooms. There are two impressively large bedrooms up there. The adults get a pretty sweet pad to sleep in, and their boys get an even cooler room, complete with a panoramic window to see the world pass by.

A bathroom divides up the two rooms and they’re accessible with their own staircases, offering everyone some privacy. Byrke explains that the bathroom came first, then Ron built the bedrooms around it.

Other goodies include full closets, Wi-Fi, functional emergency exits, and a number of fire extinguishers all over the bus. Even though this is the work of two people, it looks so professionally done that it could have been done by a company. Out of the many custom RVs that I’ve seen, it’s definitely one of my favorites! It sounds like the one thing Ron missed out on was better insulation, as apparently the bus isn’t built to handle the deep cold of winter. But honestly, most of the campers coming out of Indiana aren’t either.

Of course, this beauty isn’t for sale, but you can watch its journey through Europe on its website and YouTube channel . And if you want to make your own, you actually could! The Skyliner was sold in America in limited numbers, but you’ll likely have to wait to find one. I found just a single Neoplan currently for sale in the United States, and it’s a bizarre thing apparently built to haul both people and intermodal freight. I’ll have to check that thing out. Kudos to Ron and Byrke for a fantastic job, I bet this bus will still be rolling after many RVs here in America get parked due to some horrible issue.

(Top photo credit: Onrust! on YouTube)

• BigFeatured , Bus , bus history , campers , camping , motorhomes , neoplan , RV , rvs , Tiny House

Mercedes Streeter

My class A motorhome is just over 12 feet tall. I wonder what this double decker comes in at? The length in the article was stated as being 39′ which isn’t that much of an issue, mine is 38′. I was in downtown St. Louis by the ball park and had to go under a 13′ bridge which obviously I fit under but my point is that I know with a double decker, or any large vehicle, you have to be height conscious when planning your route.

Wikipedia says 4 meters (13 ft 1 in).

A double decker is a good way of getting more living space if your travel patterns allow it. I have seen some English double decker city busses converted, although this the first long distance double I’ve seen

Neoplan USA started building transit buses in Lamar, Colorado, in the 1980s. Unfortunately, they developed a reputation for having issues with structural cracks, which, most likely, led to their ultimate demise, here, in 2006.

Thanks for writing something on the Neoplan Skyliners! Just some wondeerful busses 🙂

“you can flush a toilet about 100 times before the black tank will be filled up.”

Surely more than that. RV toilets use hardly any water, and that would mean you’re flushing nearly a gallon each time. I guess if you’re _extremely_ well hydrated that might be possible. 😉

I do wonder why they sized the tanks that way though. Generally you want a larger gray tank since showering uses up a lot of water in a hurry, and even a small black tank will last a loooong time. You also generally want the black tank to be pretty full when you empty it so any solids get swept out with the rush of water. With an 80 gallon black tank you’re never going to fill it up, unless you just never dump it, in which case you end up hauling a lot of sloshy weight around when you’re driving which seems less than ideal.

Anyway, I’m just nit picking and overall this thing seems really well done.

Well there is a method to dumping tanks to ensure the black water tank is cleaned out. First after hooking up you dump lines you pull the main valve and black water valve open. After the tank dumps you close the main valve but leave the black water valve open then you pull the grey water valve. The gray water will flow into the black tank. Close the grey water valve then open the main valve, after it stops close the black water valve and open the gray water tank. Nice clean tanks.

Interesting. I have to admit to a knee-jerk “nope” when it comes to mingling the black and grey tanks, but I suppose that would be a way to get a lot of water into the black tank quickly. Come to think of it, they might have a black tank flush connection that could help with this too.

Ever the curmudgeon, my first question was, “Is there a ‘commercial bus’ setting for the gps in there?” Tooling around Europe in that thing is surely amazing, but I’m betting there are plenty of areas where you simply can’t go due to height & length. Regardless, the level of this build is nothing short of aspirational.

there are a number of specialized RV/Truck GPS Apps that will only take you on compatible routes.

I figured there had to be. I well remember an afternoon(late 80s) spent trying to help a neophyte semi driver exit our neighborhood which had been built in the 20s & 30s. Once the cops showed up, I retired to the porch to drink beer and watch the show. Good times-but I’ll never forget that poor guy’s face: a stark white rictus of “Oh, I’m fucked now!”

Wasn’t there a movie about the articulated Neoplan bus in the 70’s? I’m thinking Stockard Channing starred in it? Damn I’m old.

I think it had a bowling alley.

The aptly named “The Big Bus” and yes, it starred Stockard. Not sure it was based on a Neoplan, as whatever it started out as, it was heavily modified.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074205/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

I just hope the owners driving skills are as good as their other skills seen here.

That thing is amazing.

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Bus Stop Classics: 1990 – 2003 Neoplan Megaliner – The Bus That Changed the Rules

As we saw in our post on the NH series “Hamburg” bus , Neoplan was a German coach manufacturer on the move in the 1960’s – 1990’s.  Always looking to innovate, it wanted to push the boundaries, or perhaps better said, the dimensions of the then current bus restrictions with regard to size and length in Europe.  The vehicle that helped accomplish that goal was the double-decker, four-axle, 15 meter (length) Megaliner bus.

While the Megaliner was introduced in 1990, it was not Neoplan’s first 15 meter (49.2 feet) four-axle model.  While European regulations at the time limited single body (non-articulated) bus length to 12 meters, Neoplan built a four-axle 15 meter version of its double decker Skyliner model for a Chilean customer in 1975.  It proved popular in Chile and in other South American countries, in addition to Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, and other areas with less restrictive size limits.

Through the 70’s and 80’s, Neoplan continued to sell four-axle 15 meter versions of their Skyliner and Cityliner models in countries where permitted – but really wanted access to the larger and more lucrative European market.

So, in 1990 they built the Megaliner.  The Megaliner was part of a strategy to lobby German and EU officials to extend the 12 meter limit to 15 meters.  Neoplan offered several operators cut-rate prices on the Megaliner, which could be driven on European roads on a limited basis with a special permit, giving the public a preview and also  showing it could be operated safely.  At the same time, the company began the arduous process of petitioning for a change in the EU’s bus length regulation.

As with any bureaucracy, it took some time, but in 1993, both Germany and the EU approved a change allowing single bodied dual-axle 15 meter coaches – but with some stipulations; the interval between the center of the front and rear axles had to be at least 4 meters, and all four axles had to be steerable.

The Megaliner was all set and ready to go – besides being 15 meters long, it was 4 meters (13.1 ft) high and 2.5 meters (8.3 ft) wide.  It could seat 50 passengers on the upper level and 40 on the lower.  Engines were mostly the big Mercedes OM 442 LA 15.1 litre (921 cu in) twin turbocharged V8 diesel with an output of 525 hp and 1425 ft lbs of torque.  In addition, engines from MAN and Scania were also offered.  The transmission was a ZF 8S-180 eight speed manual.

With the basic Megaliner launched, Neoplan then introduced two variations.  The first was the Megaspace – a Megaliner with the lower seating level converted to a galley and lounge.

The Megashuttle was a Megaliner built for high-volume urban transit use – 55 seats on the upper level and 45 below, with standing space for another 80.

Scania K380 (14 Meter)

As the new century approached, motor coach regulations were again changing – several manufacturers had successfully petitioned the EU to permit 14 meter (45.9 ft) length buses with a single front axle, given they met axle loading standards.  Obviously, a single front axle bus is a lot less complex and less costly than a tandem axle version.

With sales decreasing, Neoplan ceased marketing the Megaliner in 2000 and the last one was built in 2003.  In 2008, one of these Megaliners operated in Japan by Japan Railways caught fire – all passengers were evacuated but the bus completely burned.  Approximately one year later, another Megaliner caught fire between Tokyo and Osaka – again everyone was evacuated – but the remaining Megaliners in use were all pulled from service.

As was mentioned in the previous post, Neoplan was integrated into the MAN Group in 2001 – their largest current model is the Skyliner (14 X 4 X 2.5 meters).

20 Comments

That promotional video was great – such a corny mix of dramatic library music and mundane driving, i ended up watching the entire thing.

i also had to chuckle when the oh so familiar scene of a car overtaking the slow bus in the mountains showed up. why did they leave that in? isn’t that bad marketing?

+1 That was a great video! Very relaxing….I could imagine myself on the upper deck enjoying that beautiful scenery. Those were some very tight turns through that mountain pass! I loved the music!

I rode a similar double decker tour bus thru the mountains of Switzerland with hair pin curves, deep gorges, and steep inclines while sitting in the front of the top deck.

The driver didn’t flinch one bit while the rest of us were screaming like a bunch of little girls😱😱😱😱😱😱

A trip I will always remember.

Something like this I guess, minus the screaming 🙂

I was hoping and waiting for a Jim Brophy article about this giant, and there it is, thank you!

The maximum length of a rigid bus with more than 2 axles is 15 meter these days, so a tandem at the rear will do. The front twin steer set-up would have become obsolete anyway.

Below an example, a VDL Futura FMD2-148, overall length 14.80 m.

Thanks Johannes – I wasn’t aware EU rules had extended 3 axle bus length to 15 meters. Jim.

This is usually fitted with steering rear (3rd) axle? Common in the UK now, especially for long distance scheduled services.

Yes, a single wheeled, steering tag axle and a drive axle with dual wheels.

So where’s the lounge and piano player? Does it have a spiral staircase?

Kudos to the driver on those hairpin curves! They start at 6:51. Was someone walking outside with the bus to help? Maybe a bit of help from steerable rear wheels would be a good idea for buses dedicated to that route?

Another great article Jim.

I used to wonder about the practicality of double decker buses compared to articulated buses for high volume mass transit use. By limiting general seating on the lower level, maintaining priority seating there for seniors, while allowing plenty of standing room and wheelchair access, keeps entry/exit on the main floor efficient. While wide stairs front and back allow fast exit from above. Though double deckers are vulnerable to crosswinds, they do seem to have less trouble in the snow than ‘pusher’ articulated buses.

Any bus that has rear wheel steer is a dangerous rig

FYI, modern systems center the tag axle and deactivate its steering system above a certain speed, say 50 km/h.

I love the wide angle interior shots.

Is it me, or does anyone else see a Pierre Cardin Javelin inspired cloth on those seats in that shot?

Did they use these in the ’80’s for tours at Cape Canaveral?

Yes Scott, a version of the 15 meter double decker Skyliner was used at Cape Kennedy starting in 1985 – NASA purchased 15. Jim.

Fantastic shape and detailing – amongst the best of 80s vehicle aesthetic. Megaspace is boss, but I love the silver, yellow, orange livery of the cover example.

I wonder, are there other manufacturers of similar double decker long haulers? I thought some came from Netherlands.

Nevertheless, I rode in one of these as a kid, with our 120 person school orchestra (there was a second bus) from Norway to Amsterdam, and i have to say it was very comfy. Even came with a steward who prepared and served light meals for us, just like on an airplane. Although dinners was eaten elsewhere. Best feature was opposing seat rows with table in between for card games.

All major manufacturers in Europe (like Neoplan, Setra, Van Hool and VDL) offer double deck long haulers. Three axles come with the package.

Neoplan, Germany (MAN) Setra, Germany (Daimler) Van Hool, Belgium (independent) VDL, the Netherlands (independent)

KJ, in addition to the info Johannes provided, these large, long haul coaches are very popular in South America. You may have missed our Marcopolo Paradiso post from a few months back..Jim

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/bus-stop-classic/bus-stop-classics-marcopolo-paradiso-1800-dd-g7-one-big-bus/

The driver in this video has some skills!

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50 years of the NEOPLAN Skyliner: On tour with the Kellys

When the Kelly Family finally got their big break in 1994, they had already been making music for two decades, performing in concerts all over Europe. Previously, they spent their journey time in spartan double-decker London buses – with their success, they switched to an articulated NEOPLAN Skyliner.

• Articulated NEOPLAN Skyliner – jumbo-tour bus since 1996
• 18 metres long with room to sleep 28
• Club room and motorbike bay in the rear segment

By the end of the 1990s, the Kelly Family’s tour bus was as big as they themselves were in Germany. The troupe, made up of members of a musical extended family, toured Europe in an unmissable NEOPLAN Jumbocruiser Type N 138/4. The articulated Skyliner – 18 metres long, four metres high, two-and-a-half metres wide, and weighing 18 tonnes in total – was already pushing the limits of what was allowed even when it originally presented at the IAA trade show in 1975. Customers were able to choose between three layout variants for the lower deck of the rear segment: bar/toilet/luggage compartment, club room/toilet/luggage compartment, or just an extended luggage compartment. In 1996, Joey Kelly bought the bus (with the club room layout) directly from its first owner, a tour operator in Dortmund. Of the 11 that were ever built, Kelly’s bus was number two.

Originally, the four-axle behemoth could seat 99 passengers – which was of limited use in its new life as a tour bus. Therefore, the king-sized NEOPLAN Skyliner was modified, eventually settling on a princely 28 sleeping berths. And that was only on the upper deck – the lower-deck seating was preserved. “The fact that it was six metres longer than other buses was naturally very interesting for a band the size of ours. We christened it the ‘Lindworm’,” Joey Kelly recalls – a reference to a legendary wingless dragon. “If you go and stand in front it, it does look like quite a monster.” The ‘Lindworm’ was powered, as ever, by a V12 engine, which produced more than 500 hp with a turbocharger. The engine is located at the back of the front segment – where most articulated buses have their articulation hub. The designers of the NEOPLAN moved this to the area in between the two decks, which makes the rear segment very stable and means no rolling movements occur between the powered segment and the trailing rear section. Joey Kelly is still always impressed by the performance of their family vehicle: “It went like a train. Most other buses have to shift to third gear when you’re going uphill. Not this one.”

The Kelly Family used the bus for about four years. It served them well as a tour bus, but also as a private touring coach. The Skyliner carried them reliably around Europe – Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Eastern Europe – for their 180 to 200 concerts per year. It even went with them on a ferry to Ireland. Joey Kelly used the enormous luggage compartment for, amongst other things, his BMW motorbike: “I built a ramp, so I was able to put the motorbike in the back and secure it with tensioning straps. Then when we stopped somewhere, I could take it out and tear around a bit.”

It’s been some 17 years since the bus was licensed, but it has lost none of its fascination. It first spent five years on loan to a museum in Sinsheim, Germany, right next to the Kellys’ houseboat. When the museum ran low on space, Joey took the bus back into his care. “It really is a weird bus, but that's that what makes it so unique. They were really on to something, sticking another six metres on the back,” says the musician. And despite its age, the double decker still runs like a charm. So – will it be headed back out on tour? Joey Kelly chuckles to himself: “The bus is 40 years old. It’s reliable, but my sister’s standards of comfort are even higher than they used to be. Even if mine aren’t.” In any case, there is no way he wants to sell his ‘Lindworm’.